Electrical fuse connection.



1.1. MULLEN. ELECTRICAL FUSE CONNECTION.

APPUCATION FILED MAR. 1'6, 1915.

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

Mifleasea if W a w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. MULLEN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO MOLONEY ELECTRICCOMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL FUSE CONNECTION.

Specification. of Letters latent;

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

Application filed March 16, 1915. Serial No. 14,728.

. invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electrical FuseConnections, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates broadly to electrical conductors, and specificallyto a form of fuse cut-out which is adapted for use on lines of anyvoltage, but of particular utility on lines which carry a high voltage.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a form offuse-carrying cut-out which may be removed from contact with thecurrent-carrying conductors with which it is associated for the purposeof replacing a blown fuse, and replaced in electrical connection withthe current conductors, all without exposing the operator to injury fromshock.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the sortdescribed, the construction of which is so simple, and the operation ofwhich is so obvious, as not to require the services of an expert torepair or adjust the same.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the sortdescribed particularly adaptable for use in connection with horn gapfuse terminals.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed which is so constructed and arranged as to afford protection,of the parts thereof from weather conditions which would tend to renderit inoperative in certain particulars.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of improvedmechanical construction and great strength.

Other and further objects of my invention will be obvious or pointed outhereinafter.

I have illustrated one form of my improved horn gap fuse cut-out in theaccompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is an elevational view of anordinary pole with its cross arms showing my improved horn gap fusecut-out 111 posltion thereon;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view partly in section showing my improvedhorn ga p fuse cut-out;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2; a

l is a plan view partly in section; F 1g. 5 is a detail view of theupper end of an instrument employed in manipulatmg my improved horn gapfuse cut-out to place it in and out of connection with the associatedconductors.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the upper and are tapped by the wires 11and 12 respectively, the opposite ends of said wires being connected tobrass or other electrically conducting metal bells or caps 13 and 14.Each of these bells or caps rests upon an insulation head 15 which isscrewed upon the arm of the bracket support 16 in a well known manner.There is an undercut groove near the upper edge of the insulation head15 and the bells or caps are each provided with three or more screws 17which are intended to be turned in until they engage under the flange ofthe insulation head. These screws also serve another purpose in that,while it is intended that they shall center the bell on the insulationhead, yet, if irregularities exit, due to manufacture, the screws can beso manipulated as to adjust the position of the bell on the insulationhead.

Each bell or cap piece 14.- to which the wires 11 and 12 areelectrically connected, is also provided with an upwardly extending stem18 preferably having grooves in its sides, as shown more clearly in Fig.3.

20 indicates an insulation block whose ends are hollowed on theirundersides and shaped to form recesses for the bell-like cap pieces andtheirupward extensions. The central portion of this insulation block isprovided with an opening 21, the purpose of which will be hereinafterset forth. 22 indicates a flat metal clip or contact member, preferablymade of spring bronze and having jogs or" indentations to engage'therecesses in the upwardly extending members 18 of the bell-shaped cappieces. The free lower ends of the clips 22 are flared outwardly anddownwardly forming guiding faces when the insulation block 20 and itscarried parts are introduced into position. The spring clips 22 are heldin position in the recesses at the end of the block 20 by means of ascrew 23 which also serves asfa securing means for a metal block 2 1,which latter provides a mount for the horn members-25,. the horizontalportions of said horn members being passed through openings in the block24 and being held in position therein by means of screws 26. The hornmembers are provided with screws 27 for the attachment of the fuse wire28. The parts above described are duplicated at each end of theinsulation block 20, and assuming that all the parts are connected in anoperative position, the current, if entering through the wire 12 fromthe main line wire 8, will pass through bell-shaped cap piece 14, itspost 18, spring clip 22, screw 23, block 24, to the horn member 25, thenthrough the fuse wire 28 to the complementary horn member and to thebell-shaped cap member 14 to wire 12 whence it is led to the primarycoil of the transformer. From the primary coil of the transformercurrent will pass through wire 12 and the bell-shaped cap piece 1 1 andthence through the horn members and their interposed fuse wire 28 tothebellshaped cap piece 13, wire 11, and thence to wire 7. i

In the event that either of the fuse wires 28 or 28 is blown, the arewill ascend the diverging members of the horns 25 and gradually becomemore attenuated, until it will eventually'be blown out. The action ofthis horn gap? as it is called, is well known and need not be furtherreferred to. Assuming that one of. the fuse wires is blown, say forinstance-the fuse wire 28, it is only necessary for a person, afterascertaining the true state of affairs, to use an instrument such asshown in 'Fig. 5 wherein a wooden rod or pole 30, of appropriate length,is provided at its upper end with the angular extension 31 projectingfrom a ferrule or cap piece secured to the upper end of the rod. Thisextension can be inserted in the aperture 21- of the fuse block whilethe operator stands on the ground. The insulation block can thus belifted from position and lowered to the ground for the purpose ofrenewing the fuse, and when this has been accomplished, the operator mayreplace the block 20 in the same fashion by causing its spring clips toengage the contact posts 18.

It is desirable to have the contact clips 22 housed in by portions ofthe insulation block 20 so as to protect the parts from inclementweather which might, for instance, under freezing conditions, interferewith the removal of the insulation block. lonsequently, the skirtportion 32 projects, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, beyond the rims ofinsulators 15 and 15 thus housing the contacts and providing a weathershed which will prevent water running from the skirt portion onto theinsulators 15 and 15 It will be observed that while I have shown theinsulators ,15 and 15 as being mounted upon the prongs of a support,thereby securing permanency in the adjusted spacing of the contact posts18, many forms of bracket supports may be employed and also that theycan be separately mounted.' It will also be manifest that the particularshape of the insulation block and the arrangement of its carried partsmay be changed to suit different conditions, and also differentcurrents, and therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the exact shapeor arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings.

It is obvious that this device is adapted for use in any situation whereit is desired to insert a fuse on an open line. As illustrated in thedrawings, 1 have shown and described the device as used in connectionwith a transformer in the manner in which it would be employed where alocal circuit is supplied through a transformer. It is obvious, however,that the device can be employed where a branch circuit is taken off ofthe main line, or in any other similar situation where it is desirableto insert a fuse for the protection of the circuit. Inasmuch as one ofthe most valuable features of the device is the arrange ment whereby itmay be manipulated without necessitating the operator working inproximity to the loaded conductors, it is obvious that the device is ofparticular utility in situations where the services of an expert orlineman cannot be immediately secured in case a fuse blows out. Forexample, in rural districts where power is distributed to users locatedat considerable distances from repair stations, the blown fuse may besafely and quickly replaced by the user whose circuit has been put outof operation, thereby making it unnecessary for him to await the arrivalof a repair man, and without his being exposed to the danger of a shock.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. A fuse connection comprising in combination, a fuse wire, a pair ofupwardly diverging terminals to which said fuse wire is connected, apair of yielding. contacts in electrical connection with said divergingterminals, an insulation block on which said parts are mounted, and apair of spaced contacts for cooperating with said yielding contacts tosupport said insulation block; said lnsulation block and the partscarried thereby being bodily removable entirely from said spacedcontacts to permit replace- 7 ment of the'fuse wire.

' 2. A fuse connection comprising thecombination of a movable block ofinsulating 7 material carrying a pair of electrical contact membersspaced apart and insulated from each other, portions of said block beingshaped to form housings for said con.

tacts, a pair of arcing horns supported 'on v said block exterior ofsaid contact housing portions and having electrical connectionrespectively with the respective contacts, a fuse normally connectingsaid arcing horns to furnish a current path exterior of said 5 tricalconnection with the contacts carried 20 on said block.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses, this tenth day of March, 1915.

JAMES J. MULLEN. Witnesses: 7

T. O. MOLONEY, E. GRIFFIN.

